Lance carriage mounted pneumatic jack hammer



March 30, 1965 Filed Aug. 6, 1963 D. D. CASPERSON 3,175,239

LANCE CARRIAGE MOUNTED PNEUMATIC JACK HAMMER 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. DAR/ELL D. CWSPEPSON ZS Z March 30, 1965 D. CASPERSON LANCE CARRIAGE MOUNTED PNEUMATIC JACK HAMMER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 6, 1963 INVENTOR.

DAR/ELL D. CASPEPSON United States Patent "ice 3,175,239 LANCE CARRIAGE MOUNTED PNEUMATKZ JACK HAMMER Dariell D. Casperson, West Mifiin, Pa., assignor to Koppers Company, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 300,342 1 Claim. (Cl. -104.1)

This invention relates to an apparatus for use in repairing the linings of vessels such as oxygen steelmaking converters.

In oxygen steelmaking operations, a long lance is inserted into an opening at the top of a furnace, such as a closed bottom converter, and substantially pure oxygen is forced downwardly through the lance at high velocity and, as a jet, into contact with the surface of the molten metal in the converter. The reaction is rapid. The temperature beneath the oxygen jet approaches 6000 F; and violent stirring and agitation of the metal bath ensues. As a result of this action, the refractory lining of the furnace is rapidly consumed. Thus the linings must be replaced regularly, sometimes after only a few days of service.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel device for use in the repair of oxygen steel furnaces.

The repair device for an oxygen steel furnace contemplated by the invention is an elongated shaft adapted for operation with the oxygen lance handling mechanism so as to be raised and lowered axially in a vertical direction and which has a pneumatic tool pivoted at one end for insertion in the opening at the top of the furnace and has a provision for positioning the tool at desired angles of elevation relative to the axis of the shaft and a provision for revolving the shaft about its axis to position the jack in azimuth whereby the pneumatic tool may be applied to the inner surface of the furnace in any desired direction.

The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will appear more fully from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are not intended as a definition of the invention but are for the purpose of illustration only.

In the drawings wherein like parts are marked alike:

FIGURE 1 illustrates an elevational View not to scale with parts in section with an embodiment novel repair device of the invention associated with a lance carriage;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view showing the carriage with the lower clamp pivoted to open position and the upper clamp in closed position, the repair device of FIG. 1 removed;

FIGURE 3 is a section taken along line IIIIII of FIG. 1 with the repair device removed.

A conventional closed-bottom, oxygen steelmaking vessel or converter is illustrated at FIG. 1 as having an outer shell 12 with a lining comprised of magnesia ramming mix and tar-bonded dolomite-magnesia bricks 14. The top of the vessel has a restricted opening 15. A hood 16 removes fumes and smoke from the converter 11.

The converter is illustrated as having a rigid lance holding mechanism associated therewith, such as described in Patent No. 3,025,047. The lance for supplying oxygen to the converter is held in a semi-cylindrical recess 19 in cradle 18 by means of arcuate clamps 21 that are pivotally supported by projections 22 which are formed or welded on the body of cradle 16. As a clamp 21 is swung about pins 23 into the closed position, tongue-like projection 24 formed on the end of clamp 21 swings between vertically spaced projections 26 and 27. Wedge 28 is then forced through slot 29 in each projection 26, through opening 31 in tongue 24 and slot 32 in each projection 27 to urge arcuate clamp 21 forceably against the lance. About a 3,175,239 Patented Mar. 30, 1965 four-foot spread exists between the arcuate portions 21 so a rigid connection is provided between the lance and guide carriage 18.

Carriage 18 moves vertically on structural steel guide tracks 33 by means of a series of flanged wheels 34 and 36, which run on rails 37 and 38. The weight of the carriage 18 and the lance is usually partially offset by a counterbalance (not shown). Guide tracks 33 are fixed in a substantially vertical position by struts 39 and 41 which are pivotally connected to bearing brackets 42 and 43 by means of pins 44 and 46.

During the charging and tapping operations of the converter 11, the entire arrangement of guide tracks 33 and guide carriage 18 may be easily swung to one side, the pivotal connections being so designed as to permit a swing of at least The load of the entire assemblage is borne by a structural steel column 47 that is supported on girder 48 which is in turn supported on column 51 placed at some distance from the converter 11. Thus, the entire support is elevated or spaced a safe distance from converter 11.

A mounting plate 53 supports the actuating mechanism including motor 54 coupled to gear reducer 56 which in turn drives hoist drum 57 to return or to play out cable 62 to raise and lower carriage 18. Thus chain yoke 58 provides for an in-line lifting and lowering of the carriage. The driving mechanism being afiixed to mounting plate 53 moves with the guide tracks 33 and carriage 18 as the assembly pivots about pins 44 and 46. The guide tracks 33 are interconnected by bracing members (not shown) to keep them parallel to each other and provide stiffer guide means.

The foregoing lance holding structure is described in greater detail in United States Patent No. 3,025,047, When the furnace is shut down for repair, the lance, of course, is not in operation.

The cleaning of the accumulated slag and steel from the walls and floors of the furnace and the removal of brick is often started while the furnace is still hot from the steelmaking process. Such operation has, heretofore, been difficult and hazardous. In accordance with this invention, there is provided a novel repair apparatus which provides for the manipulation of heavy pneumatic tools and which is particularly adapted for use with the apparatus for holding oxygen lances. The tool can be easily inserted into the relatively narrow opening at the top of the converter and readily applied against the inner wall of the furnace in any required direction; horizontally, vertically and obliquely. The lifting and positioning of the tool is handled without the great manual effort required heretofore.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an elongated rod 80 has pivotally attached at one end by conventional means, for example, by a clevis joint 81, an adapter 82 for a pneumatic tool 83. The adapter and tool can thus be pivoted in the plane of the axis of shaft 80. A projection or ear 84 is attached to shaft 30 and a projection or car 86 is attached to adapter 82, by suitable means, as for example by welding. Pivotally attached to ear 84 and to ear 86 as by clevis 87 and 89 is a pneumatic ram 91. Thus actuation of ram 91 will increase or decrease the distance between ears 84 and 86 thereby pivoting tool 83 through an angle or. Advantageously, this angle is about At the upper end of shaft 80 are a pair of thrust bearings 93 and 94. These bearings are adapted to fit recess 19 and be held by clamp arms 21. Attached to the outer housing of bearing 94 is a conventional reversible electric motor 96 connected by gearbox 97 for rotating shaft 80.

It can be seen that the pneumatic tool 83 may be applied against the inner wall of the converter at any desired level and direction. By reciprocating carriage 18, the tool may be moved up and down in the converter; by actuating motor 96, the tool may be rotated in the converter to any azimuth direction; and by actuating pneumatic ram 91, the tool may be swung through an are a of elevation.

If desired, the controls for the carriage for motor 96 and for ram 91 may be concentrated in a control panel 98 on service floor 99. Thus the controls are accessible for one operator.

In operation, the lance is removed from recess 19 and replaced by shaft 80; the bearings 3 and 94 resting in recesses 19. Clamps 21 are closed and locked. The entire assemblage of carriage 18 and shaft 80 is positioned over the opening at the top of converter 11. The carriage is lowered to the desired level. The hammer 83, at this time, is advantageously in a substantially vertical position. After the tool is within the furnace, ram 91 is actuated to pivot the hammer 83, and to place hammer 80 at the desired angle of elevation. Motor 96 is operated to revolve shaft 80 to place hammer 83 at the desired angle of azimuth. The hammer may then be actuated to loosen the slag, steel, brick, or the like. Then as this is accomplished, the motor 54 may be operated to change the elevation of the hammer. Then hammer 83 may be applied to the inner surface of the converter so that the entire converter may be repaired or cleaned, as the case may be, without hazard to the workmen and through the use of larger tools than could be handled manually for performing these difiicult cleaning operations.

While the foregoing has dealt particularly with pneumatic tools, it is evident that other tools may be used where drilling, chiseling, and hammering tasks are required.

The foregoing has described a noved tool for cleaning oxygen furnaces. It can readily be substituted for the oxygen lance and the normal oxygen lance carrier. It permits the cleaning and repair of the converter Without the laborious manual operations of lifting and holding the tools and the ditficult manipulation of the tools along the Work surface. In addition, it dispenses with the hazard of removing the deposits at angles disposed to the 40 vertical and horizontal directions which constitute extreme hazards to the workers. In addition, the tools may be used under temperature conditions that would not be possible in the manual handling of the tools.

I claim:

In a system for cleaning a wall of an oxygen furnace, wherein a carriage is reciprocably movable on guideways fixed above said furnace and a mechanism is mounted on said guideways for vertically reciprocating said carriage relative to said guideways, the combination with said carrlage of:

(a) an elongate rod;

(1)) a pair of spaced apart thrust bearings mounted adjacent one end of said rod whereby said rod is mountable and supportable in said carriage;

(c) an adapter pivotally mounted adjacent the other end of said rod;

(:1) a power tool removably secured in said adapter;

(e) a fluid actuated ram pivotally connected to both said rod and said adapter whereby said adapter and tool are operable in a plane containing the axis of said rod through an angle that is greater than a right angle; and

(f) a motor drivingly connected to said rod whereby said adapter and tool are movable through an angle not greater than 360 to selected azimuthal positions, as said tool operatively engages the wall of said furnace and is reciprocated in said vessel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,299,718 10/42 De Florez, 2,931,060 4/60 Kelly.

3,025,047 3/62 Reinfeld et al. 266-34 3,090,983 5/63 Modrak et al. 15104.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 684,726 12/39 Germany.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner. 

